With its lives on the line, San Beda-Taytay made sure that its fate remains in its hands, forcing a quadruple-tie for second to fifth in the NCAA Season 98 Juniors Basketball Tournament.
The defending champions dominated listless Emilio Aguinaldo College, 94-74, on Monday at San Andres Sports Complex.
San Beda will be facing San Sebastian College-Recoletos on Thursday to determine who will claim the last Final Four spot to face Mapua University, who is waiting in the stepladder.
Head Coach Miko Roldan expressed his satisfaction with the team’s momentum, stating that the goal was to finish the eliminations on a high note, carrying this positive energy into the playoffs.
“Yun naman yung goal namin eh, to finish on a high note para madala namin yun going to the playoffs,” said Roldan.
The Red Cubs dominated the game from the start, with a lead that grew by as much as 31 points after JC Jomalesa’s jump shot in the payoff period, ending the game with a comfortable 94-74 line.
Four Red Cubs players finished with impressive double-figure scores, led by Chris Hubilla, who recorded a double-double with 16 points and 11 rebounds.
Andrei Dungo, John Lopez, and Jomalesa also contributed significantly, with 14, 13, and 11 points, respectively.
Mark Mariquit of Emilio Agunaldo College put up a brave fight, scoring 22 points, grabbing eight rebounds, and recording two assists and two steals.
However, the Brigadiers failed to secure a win throughout the entire tournament, while San Beda finished the eliminations with a 6-3 record.
San Beda’s victory has undoubtedly given the team a much-needed morale boost, propelling them to the playoffs with newfound confidence.
The Scores:
Fourth Game
San Beda (94) — Hubilla 16, Dungo 14, Lopez 13, Jomalesa 11, Lecciones 8, Reyes 8, Cañete 5, Ludovice 4, Ronquillo 4, Wagan 3, Lacsamana 3, Manarang 3, Lorenzo 2, Sahali 0.
EAC (74) — Mariquit 22, Bonafe 9, Balan 9, Villanueva 8, Brazil 6, Esusan 6, Castillo 4, Dungo 4, Cuizon 2, Romero 2, Bautista 0, Bailon 0, Tecson 0, Jawali 0, Tenorio 0
Quarterscores: 30-9, 55-40, 60-54, 94-74.
